Constantine Hatzidakis: Who is the official who 'elbowed' Andy Robertson?
When asked what his advice would be for any aspiring officials, Constantine Hatzidakis offered a sound nugget of wisdom.
“I definitely recommend joining a support network for challenging times," the Premier League assistant referee warned, "...because they’re always going to be them in the referee world.”
Hatzidakis is undoubtedly enduring the most challenging time of his career after getting involved in a scuffle with Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson during a thrilling 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday.
After the whistle had blown for half-time, the 38-year-old official appeared to raise his elbow in the direction of Robertson's chin. An investigation led by PGMOL is ongoing and Hatzidakis has been stood down in the meantime.
This out-of-character escapade has propelled Hatzidakis from the fringes of the pitch - only sporadically and briefly thrust into the spotlight when a tight offside call is made - firmly into the public consciousness.
Here's everything you need to know about the figure at the heart of a scandalous incident.
Athletic background
Growing up in the southeast, Hatzidakis was a talented athlete across a number of disciplines. As well as swimming to a high level, he played professional rugby for Harlequins. As a winger with bright pink boots, Hatzidakis admitted to the GB Active podcast in 2018: “I was very arrogant when I played.”
The assistant referee describes himself as a 'professional athlete'. A big advocate of yoga, Hatzidakis conceded: “I am undoubtedly obsessed with training.”
This dedication to his fitness and physique is integral to his ability to run the line, or so he claims. “If you don’t look right," Hatzidakis said, "...your credibility is questioned straight away. If you look physically fit as a match official, as a referee or assistant referee, you’re automatically winning that game of persuading someone that decision is correct.”
Refereeing career
They say that necessity is the mother of invention and Hatzidakis was first drawn into the role of officiating out of need rather than desire. “I became a qualified referee because my little brother’s football team needed somebody to referee their matches." Simple as that.
Hatzidakis made his debut in the Football League in 2012 and has been a Premier League official for the last nine years. Originally coming through the ranks as the main man with the whistle, Hatzidakis committed to becoming a full-time assistant referee in 2017. “It’s a very long, hard process to get to the top,” he insisted.
A year after serving as the reserve official in the FA Cup final, Hatzidakis got the top gig in 2019, running the line as Manchester City walloped Watford 6-0. Hatzidakis described his appointment as 'a dream come true' which “means everything” in an interview with the Referees’ Association.
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Addicks addict
A member of the Kent football association, Hatzidakis came through a referees' academy in Charlton. The square-jawed official comes from 'a family of hardcore Charlton fans', by his own description. Led by his grandmother, Hatzidakis would regularly go to watch the Addicks at the Den while they were in the Premier League.
While his uncle played for Charlton’s academy, Hatzidakis' mum actually featured for the women’s team.
Tunnel vision
Hatzidakis likened his focus during the heat of a match to the humans grown synthetically in The Matrix. “Once you’re plugged in, you’re very much in the zone, you’re in the game.”
Gushing about the 'theatre' of the Premier League, Hatzidakis claimed: "You’re in it. You always feel like you’re in the game.” With Anfield electrified by Mohamed Salah's goal on the cusp of half time to halve Arsenal's advantage, perhaps the official felt a little too involved heading towards the centre circle when Robertson approached him.
The laser-like focus required to referee at the highest level can be draining. “When you come off a game, physically you’re fine, but mentally you’re exhausted,” Hatzidakis has explained in the past.
As the powers that be judge his moment of madness on Sunday, Hatzidakis may start to wish this was all a simulation.
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